Change to Slavery
by Kay Hau
Summary: One little twist and the whole story changes. Prince Myrrha's transformation into a plus anima was seen, and he was captured before he even managed to escape into Sailand's canal system.
1. Chapter 1

Description: One little twist and the whole story changes. Prince Myrrha's transformation into a +anima was seen, and he was captured before he even managed to escape into the canal system.

Disclaimer: I do not own +Anima. Please purchase the books, which are all readily available in English.

WARNING: This story is rated T. It will not have detailed sex scenes, graphic violence, or swearing beyond the likes of 'damn' and 'hell', but it will have mentions of dark elements such as rape and abuse. Fanfiction describes the T rating as "Suitable for teens, 13 years and older, with some violence, minor coarse language, and minor suggestive adult themes." The M rating is described as "Not suitable for children or teens below the age of 16 with possible strong but non-explicit adult themes, references to violence, and strong coarse language." If you feel my story needs to be rated M, please let me know. This is my first 'dark' story to put up here, so I would be grateful for any advice.

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><p>Queen Dylana hated Prince Myrrha.<p>

Prince Myrrha was small, delicate, and nearly as beautiful as his mother, Queen Marein. He would always play the poor little victim when the older princes – the strong, handsome, intelligent, and masculine ones like her son – would innocently tease him about looking and acting like a girl. One little comment from Queen Dylana's son, Prince Keane, and the pathetic girlish child had run off to hide. All Keane had been doing was teasing the _princess_ about that annoying husky voice, just reeking of the northern countryside. That same terrible, horrible accent his mother had.

And Queen Dylana _hated_ Queen Marein, even more than Prince Myrrha. While Prince Myrrha was simply pathetic, completely undeserving of the amount of attention he received from his highness, Queen Marein was… untouchable. She was not just beautiful, but terrifying. She did not even need to say a word - a mere gesture of her hand and every servant within a hundred yard radius would race to her side. She rarely spoke, but when she did her every word was weighted with queenly authority far beyond her place as _twenty-second _queen – but somehow, every attempt to point that out was futile. Marein's perfect face was always completely expressionless, no matter the provocation.

Marein was one of the king's favorites. Perhaps _the_ king's favorite. The place that had once belonged to _her_, to Queen Dylana, to the seventh queen and the first to bear a healthy son to his highness.

Marein's son looked exactly like her. That freakish polished silver hair that shone blue when the sun shone on it just right; those huge, catlike, completely unnatural light blue eyes with just a hint of purple; that lithe, perfectly proportioned form that disguised alien strength and flexibility; that completely flawless, perfectly smooth, silky soft, pale to almost snow-white skin; that porcelain-delicate face that drew admiration no matter how you despised its owner.

Thus that undeserving, pathetic, _feminine_ little BRAT was a threat. The king already constantly sought out Myrrha over the elder, more distinguished, better qualified princes – like Keane. The man – for that's all the king truly was, just a man – would fawn over that annoying little pest, commenting on the child's beautiful hair and eyes and voice. So like his _mother_. It was only a matter of time before Myrrha was appointed the crown prince, usurping Dylana's son Keane's rightful place as firstborn.

It did not help that the king's twin _sister_, who had_ no place_ within the palace walls, had taken an interest in that Myrrha and was personally teaching him the difficult art of staff fighting – which the child excelled at. And it was even worse that Myrrha was an excellent student and had easily caught up to his older half-brothers' studies.

And so it was that, when Dylana's eyes fell on that pathetic brat, sitting so innocently at the edge of the harem garden's largest artificial lake, half asleep and looking so damn _perfect_, her hands reached out before she thought better of it. Reached out and closed around the tiny little neck of that stick-thin little eight year old. And squeezed.

Her arms lifted that feather-light body into the air before her, gazing at the disgusting child as he started panicking. Watching him coldly as he made strange gasping and pained sounds as he struggled, clawing at her hands, trying desperately to free himself. The child's eyes never closed, which she found quite odd. Those disgusting, nonhuman eyes latched onto her face, first pleading, then terrified, then desperate… and finally starting to go hazy and reddish as the child's face started changing colors from lack of oxygen.

It was rather amusing, seeing that oh-so-familiar, and oh-how-despised face screwed up in desperation and pain. A smile crept onto her face, even as the light died out of her eyes. She didn't even notice the blood flowing down the raw scratches on the backs of her hands and down her forearms, dripping onto her dress and the dirt ground of the garden.

She grew bored as the child's movements and struggles came to an end. Still completely not thinking about what she was doing, what she had just done, she threw the child into the lake. A part of her smirked at the irony that the child, like his mother, had never learned to swim – not that it would help at this point.

Queen Dylana stood there majestically on the edge of the lake, watching the threat to her son's position sink to the bottom of the lake, when it started to hit her.

She had murdered a prince in cold blood.

Her eyes fell to the blood on her hands, arms, and clothing. She dropped to the ground, thinking to rinse her wounds, and casually turned her gaze to search for the child's body.

There it was, still so pale and perfect even in death. Then it moved, reached out a hand towards the surface…

It wasn't dead. Myrrha wasn't dead! He would expose her!

Wait – no. She was safe. The child could not swim, and no one had seen or was even looking this way.

Then, before her disbelieving eyes, the child transformed into a mermaid.

No. A +anima.

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><p>It took a minute for Myrrha to understand that he was not dead. That his wish had been granted. He could finally breathe again. He sucked in a deep breath and the world refocused around him. An underwater world filled with familiar fish and plants.<p>

He started to panic. He was still in the lake! How could he be alive? How could he be breathing? He couldn't swim – yet he was.

The young prince looked down at himself in shock. His entire body, from his neck down with the exception of his arms, had completely transformed. He had a tail, an actual fishtail, longer than his legs had been. He had gills in some sort of plating type scales over his chest, and fins on his sides and back.

He was a +anima. A fish +anima.

This was bad. This never should have happened.

Princes could not be +anima. +Anima were on the same level as Kim-un-Ker. The bottom level of the Sailandian cast system. They were slaves. It was illegal for them to be without an owner, for them to hold any sort of position. They could be legally hunted down and captured, sold in a public market, raped and beaten and abused and tortured – all as their owner wished and they no doubt deserved.

They were half-animals. They had no rights. They had no protection. They had no future.

He had to run away.

As soon as he came to that realization, a muffled scream reached his ears. It was coming from above the water. Coming from Dylana, who was pointing at him as she continued to scream. He heard thumping as running footsteps charged towards the lake and, to his horror, within seconds the harem's guards came into view.

He desperately swam towards the side of the lake and began searching for an access into the canal system. It had to be here somewhere. It had to be! All of the royal palace, all of the nobles' houses, pretty much all of the capital of Sailand was connected by underground waterways. He'd read about them in his studies. His tutors had discussed it with him as an important part of their elite water system, something that set Sailand apart from its neighbors.

If he could just find that access! It should be right around here! He desperately swam along the lake's far side, even as the pounding of feet and the screams of his half-siblings and step-mothers and the guards and servants that tended to the king's harem reached his ears. The individual voices were indistinguishable and muffled after traveling through nearly twenty feet of water, and thus all the more terrifying.

There! His eyes fell on the round pipe, just large enough for his small body to fit through, covered with a metal grating that looked worn and rusted. He darted over and started pulling at it, just as a terrific splash sounded just above him and a wave of water from the impact shoved him aside.

Massive arms wrapped around his middle and tried to drag him to the surface. But he would not let that happen! He could not let that happen!

Myrrha clawed at the relentless arms and kicked out with his large tail, driving himself and his captor deeper into the water, not allowing the guard clinging to him to force them upwards. Eventually the guard would weaken, would be forced to let go and seek out air… only she hadn't yet and it had already been nearly two minutes and the sounds from above were getting louder and more desperate…

The young fish +anima desperately squirmed, finally breaking free of those thick arms and surging forward… straight into a net that had been dropped right in front of him, too quickly for him to evade and too skillfully for him to escape. It swooped around him, tangling and wrapping around him, dragging him relentlessly towards the surface and the side of the lake that most of the sounds were coming from.

Myrrha's desperation grew as he found himself trapped. With each struggle, he found the net tighter around himself. He reached out his arms, tried to kick with his tail, but it was hopeless. The net was hauled out of the lake and dumped on solid ground, the young ex-prince completely tangled within.

Hands grabbed at him, holding him in place and pinning him down as they tried to remove the net from around him. He kicked out with his tail, struggling mightily, biting and clawing and trying desperately to get away. He would not be a slave. He _would not_ be a slave!

The net came undone, and it was lifted and shaken to completely free the fish +anima from within. Not that he was any more free, as the hands were still there, pinning him down, pressing him flat against the ground.

Silence fell over the harem, as all eyes stared in shock and horror at the transformed prince. The only sound was panting coming from the half-fish child pinned to the ground by the harem's women guards.

A heartbreaking wail went up and Queen Marein, showing a clear expression of horror and pain and worry, tried to burst through the crowd to reach her only child. But she was quickly grabbed by the guards and held back. "Myrrha!" she screamed. For once, all of Marein's hidden emotions were exposed on her face, clear for all to see.

The boy's head rose in surprise, his head turning and finding his mother. Their eyes latched together, saying more than words could ever express.

"Lock him up," ordered the king's cold voice.

Myrrha's eyes turned from his mother's toward his father, who'd only yesterday held him in his lap and told him how much he loved him. His fish form faded away, and he started trying to climb to his feet, but the hands on him were unyielding. They lifted him right off the ground between two guards and started marching away.

Queen Dylana managed to hide her wounds and cover the blood on her clothing in the chaos, and so completely escaped judgment. The public announcement that Prince Myrrha had been stripped of all rights was scheduled for the next morning, in an assembly before the entire royal household and noble court.


	2. Chapter 2

_Author's Notes: Chapter beta-read by Moofy-Fan. Even if you say you didn't do much, it was a huge relief just to get your okay! Thanks again!_

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><p>"Brother. Don't do this," said Lady Crystala firmly, speaking to her stubborn twin. For the first time in years, she was actually kneeling on the ground before her brother, in the manner of a lord pleading favor. Her head, however, was raised proudly, glaring warningly at her brother. "It's still Myrrha, no matter his form. Marein's child. Your son."<p>

"I have no choice, Crystala!" retorted the king of Sailand angrily. He stood stiffly before her, though his eyes were staring hard at the wall behind his sister. "I have to make an example of him! Can you imagine what people will say if I make an exception?"

"Then abolish these stupid, inhumane laws! Let the +anima be free!"

"Ridiculous!" shouted the king, glaring at his sister but he quickly shifted his eyes back to the wall. His hands fisted at his sides. "I would be assassinated! Slavery is a time-honored tradition and a vital part of our economy! Besides, you should know very well how other countries treat +anima. At least he won't be slaughtered like some wild beast."

"He's. Your. Son." Crystala's words were spoken with a chilling strength behind them. A strength that had allowed her to leave the palace unharmed when so many sought to kill her, that had allowed her to attain a court standing equal to any lord's, and that forced others to tolerate her 'collecting' of abused slaves and runaway +anima into her caravan as she traveled the country.

"Not anymore. He's simply another palace slave, as all will know after the announcement." The king said, a note of finality in his tone that would have dismissed anyone else.

Lady Crystala angrily got to her feet and grabbed her brother's shoulder, forcing him to turn and look at her. They were of equal height and similar build, making it that much harder for the King of Sailand to remember his position. His sister's eyes glimmered with anger and disgust as her eyes locked with his.

"You know Myrrha will never be allowed to be a normal slave! He'll end up as someone's _pet_."

The king yanked himself free from his twin sister, from those disapproving eyes, and turned to leave. The politics involved would never allow him to free his son, would never allow him to make any sort of exception. And Myrrha's uncovering as a +anima had involved too many people to try cover this up or hide him away – the story was undoubtedly the hot topic in every corner of the castle and quickly spreading beyond.

His son was now a +anima, a slave to be treated as any other.

"He's going to be abused," said Crystala, her voice tense and cold. "You know it as well as I. The only protection he had before was his status and the safety of the harem. This country of yours is filled with monsters who prey on these poor +anima children, and Myrrha's past status as prince will only make him that much more of a prize. He'll be raped and tortured and broken."

The king said nothing. Could deny nothing. After several long, accusing minutes of silence, he sighed.

"Maybe you could… I mean, you're a slaveowner…"

"I travel," said Crystala succinctly. "In a caravan. I would take Myrrha under my wing in a heartbeat, but it would be impossible for me to protect him completely. I sometimes have a hard time keeping _my own_ head attached."

"I could put him in the kitchens or something…"

"He'll only be sold by the palace steward to the highest bidder. Even if we subtract normal slaveowners from the equation, after your announcement tomorrow, you're going to have _noblemen_ crawling out of the woodwork, bidding for the ownership of _your son_."

There was another long silence.

"I don't have a choice, Crystala," said the king finally, in a voice finally beginning to tremble with doubt. With the pain of losing a beloved son. With knowing he could do nothing to free his son from this fate, or even to try protect him. He swallowed.

"Marein will never talk to you again. Any relations you have with her from now on will be _pathetically_ one-sided," said Crystala harshly, meaning the words to be cutting and cruel.

"I know… She was in here before you."

"I know, brother. I passed her as I came in. She was crying. _Marein_, the so-called ice queen, the silver princess, was crying."

The king seemed to wilt, but he did not raise his eyes to look at his twin sister. "I have no choice."

"You always have a choice!"

"No. I really don't this time. Please, Crystala… if you can…?"

Lady Crystala rubbed at her forehead in exasperation. "You_ know_ how the other nobles and slaveowners look down on the disgraced sister of the king! The woman they'd all been expecting to be killed as part of your coronation ceremony. Who was only let off on some silly superstition about the lives of twins being interwoven – or so you allowed everyone to think."

The king finally turned to look at her. And she could not look away from the expression on her twin's face. A look he hadn't shown since they were teenagers and their father had told them Crystala would have to be sacrificed to make his seat on the throne firm. Which only reminded her how much she owed her dear brother, her best friend, her twin. A man, a boy, who always tried so _hard_ to be what others wanted of him. Never what he wanted for himself.

He spoke just three words to change his sister's heart.

"I love him."

Crystala's resolve not to let her brother push this onto her broke at that frank admission. He had finally admitted this was not just some random kid. That this was _his son_, his secret favorite, the only one out of all his children that could rightfully be called a good boy. The spitting image of the woman he had fallen madly in love with at first sight, but yet could never say as much, as his position had forced him into accepting so many _other_ women. To making the one, the only one he actually wanted, into just one of many.

"FINE. I'll take ownership of Myrrha. I will fight to keep him as safe as possible. But don't you _dare_ blame me when the inevitable happens."

She glared at her brother, hands fisting at her sides. She knew very well that, despite her best efforts, despite the best efforts of her most trusted companions in her caravan, they would not be able to protect her beloved nephew from every person wishing him harm. Just as she had failed at protecting so many pitiful +anima children in the past.

"I will be taking him tonight. I don't care about that disgusting tradition of the disgraced personage having to be present during his announcement, as an object to be insulted and jeered at. Farewell, brother. You'll never have to see Myrrha again, which is, of course, the perfect _political _solution to this _scandal_."

She turned with a whoosh of robes and strode haughtily out of the room, every inch the king's equal though she had nowhere near his power. Perhaps because she actually _used_ the power she did have.

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><p>Lady Crystala went straight to the dungeons after leaving her brother. After all those years of visiting Myrrha and Marein in the harem, she certainly never would've dreamed of fetching Myrrha from the dungeon. The only comfort was knowing that the palace dungeons were usually empty and very clean, as usually criminals and disgraced officials were taken directly to the city prisons to await judgment.<p>

That was poor comfort as she approached the only cell with a guard posted in front of it. The palace guard quickly dropped into a bow, and wordlessly handed over the keys when she held out her hand. She took them and dismissed the guard, not allowing him any sort of protest. Once he was out of earshot, she unlocked the barred door and approached the small sleeping figure, curled up in a corner of the cell.

"Myrrha," called Crystala gently, kneeling at his side. She lightly stroked her nephew's hair and patted his face. "Myrrha, you have to get up."

His beautiful light-blue eyes fluttered open and gazed for a moment at his aunt in incomprehension. He was cold and hurt all over. He was laying uncomfortably on hard rock and mortar. His wrists were shackled together in front of him.

"Aunty?" he whimpered, unsure of what was going on. Not wanting to face the flickers of memory trying to shove their way into his consciousness. The trembling in his voice, coupled with those big pleading eyes turned her way, absolutely begged her to explain that this was all some sort of misunderstanding. That everything was fine now.

Instead she unlocked the shackles, set them aside, and pulled him into a tight hug.

"It's true? I'm a +anima?" he whispered to her, not quite believing it himself.

"Yes," she said simply, holding him close.

They were silent for a long time. Myrrha whimpered and clung tighter to his aunt as he remembered suffocating, drowning, suddenly being able to breathe only to find he had turned into a +anima. Trying to escape, being grabbed, being trapped in a net and dumped out like a fish. His mother's shout, his father's dismissal, his struggles with the guards as he was hauled down here, shackled, and thrown into this cell…

It was all true. He was a +anima.

"I'm never going to see my mother again, am I?" he whispered hopelessly.

It didn't really need an answer. The question had been spoken in a purely rhetorical manner. But Crystala could not allow him to entertain dangerous hopes and wishes like that. Even if he lost his anima, he'd never be welcome in the palace again.

"No, Myrrha. You are not."

He started crying softly, clinging tightly to his aunt's robes. Even now, the proud little boy, so like his mother, tried to hide his face and get control of himself.

Crystala held him close and let him cry for a few minutes. She took the time to examine the ring of bruising around his throat. Her fingers then drifted from the bruising to the sharp black wavelike markings on either side of his neck. A fish +anima marking , and while not a common one, certainly one that would be recognized easily for what it was.

"What happened?" she finally asked.

"D… Dylana… She tried to kill me…" whispered Myrhha, sounding almost scared to accuse such a thing of one of the queens. Especially the crown prince's mother.

"Your mother suspected as much."

Husky looked up, eyes wide in surprise. He'd certainly never thought anyone would believe him, let alone have already figured the situation out on their own. If he'd succeeded in escaping, he would've kept the secret to his grave.

"Mother? Why would she…? And what…?"

Crystala smiled slightly, then sighed. "Nothing gets past your mother. And nothing happened to Dylana, of course." Her eyes narrowed in disgust. "That selfish, jealous old hag got off scot free. No one's going to look for the reason a child turned into a +anima. And no judge will ever condemn someone for a crime against a slave."

Many a time had Crystala been accused of being too blunt with children. But many a time had those same children returned years later and thanked her with tears in their eyes for preparing them to face reality.

"She's still out there?" the child whimpered, lifting his hands subconsciously to shield his throat.

The king's sister sighed deeply and took his hands in hers, lowering them back to his lap. Then she lifted his chin with one hand and gave him her best strict teacher look. It helped that she actually _had_ been one of his instructors and had long since won his admiration. He looked away in embarrassment, accepting her reproof.

"You can do nothing about that, Myrrha. No one can. You will have to be strong and get past it on your own."

The silver-haired boy looked up and met his aunt's eyes, his own full of trust and respect. He nodded firmly.

"Do you understand your situation, Myrrha?"

Myrrha nodded, then replied.

"I'm a +anima now, not a prince. I have the status of a slave and can be freely bought and sold. I am not allowed to fight outside of a betting ring and am strictly forbidden from any sort of retaliation or disobedience to who-so-ever becomes my owner."

As she had expected, a perfectly textbook answer. That he could do that much told her that at least some part of his mind was taking in the facts of the situation and beginning to understand that his life had changed. How much he actually _understood_ remained to be seen.

"Very good, Myrrha. Now, do you understand what sexual relations are?"

The boy blinked in surprise and blushed red, completely not understanding how this was related. "My mom explained it to me. When a man and a woman lie down together and… and become one. It creates children."

"That's the basics, yes. It involves a lot of touching – touching that is not comfortable if you do not want it. I need you to be aware that there are people out there who do not care if their partner is consenting, or even if their partner is a child or of the same gender as themselves."

The child's eyes widened. Crystala's heart sunk at having to give her innocent nephew such a lecture, a lecture she'd been forced to give many a young +anima slave in the past.

"There will be people who try to touch you that way, Myrrha. You have to be on the alert at all times. I will tell you what to do, and you must do exactly as I say."

"Yes, Aunty Crystala."

"As soon as someone starts touching or threatening you, scream for help. Run away if you can. If you cannot, clench your jaw, curl up as small as you can, and transform into your +anima fish form. They cannot do to your fish form what they want to do to you, so do not transform back until they are gone. Close your eyes and wait for them to go away, no matter how long it takes or what they do or say. Promise me."

"I promise," whispered the boy, beginning to tremble. Unfortunately, in this case his high intelligence allowed him to understand there was so very much his aunty was leaving unsaid. So many questions that choked in his throat as his wiser half told him he _did not_ want the answers. Crystala took his small hands in hers and held them firmly.

"I'm not done, Myrrha. You must always, always sleep in your +anima form. Do not let anyone catch you asleep or unconscious in your human form. Promise?"

"Yes. I promise," he replied quietly.

"I'm your slaveowner, Myrrha. I will try to keep you safe, but I will not be able to be with you all the time."

He looked at her with wide, confused eyes. Trying to reconcile the idea of his loving, and occasionally fierce, aunty suddenly being his slaveowner. His… master?

Lady Crystala waited a few seconds for this news to sink in before continuing.

"I will assign you to a group, and within that group you will have a partner. Never leave your partner or your group unless you feel threatened in some way – in which case you come straight to me. You _will_ tell me if anyone is acting weird or violent or tries to touch you in strange ways. You _will_ tell me if anyone says something to you that makes you uncomfortable or physically hurts you in any way – even if it seems to be something small. You can talk to me at _any_ time, though you may have to wait a few minutes if I'm talking to someone. Understood?"

The little boy was frowning, but he nodded. His eyes were narrowed slightly as he carefully memorized his aunt's every word.

"Never doubt that I love you and care about you, no matter what anyone says. Many people are very bitter about things they cannot control, and may often say things they don't mean."

He nodded, though his eyes flashed with a trace of anger. Well, of course, since Myrrha and Marein were often the butt of bitter jokes, slander, and downright cruelty. Clearly, no matter what she said, he would not be very patient with those who spoke too carelessly – though she hoped he would at least not take their words to heart.

"Lastly, I am very sorry Myrrha, but you may not call me Aunty anymore. You will have to call me Lady Crystala."

The little boy flinched as if he'd been struck. He quickly snatched back his hands from where they'd been twisted in her robes, as if he'd been caught doing something bad.

Perhaps he actually did understand what it meant to be a slave.

Crystala pulled him into a hug. "Never doubt that I love you," she repeated, nuzzling his silky smooth hair. "I don't say things I don't mean." He relaxed a little, but didn't reach out to return the hug. She sighed.

"I'd like to let you call my Aunty in private, Myrrha, I really would. But there's a chance you might slip up. That would be very dangerous to you. My other slaves and the members of my caravan might turn on you if they believe you think yourself better than them. It probably would be best to only talk when you absolutely need to, at least at the beginning."

Myrrha didn't meet her eyes, but his expression hardened with seriousness, or was that stubbornness?, and he nodded. He understood.

Crystala kissed his forehead and stood up. She easily lifted the boy up into her arms and carried him out of the dark, cold cell.

Her nephew pulled gently on her sleeve. "Aun… Lady Crystala? Don't I have to… tomorrow…?"

"No."

"But…"

"You do not have to be there for the announcement, Myrrha."

She felt a measure of relief come over the child and he relaxed in her arms.

"What did I say about sleeping?" she asked, almost teasingly, as she saw his eyelids begin to droop.

Myrrha smiled slightly and transformed into his fish form. The surprised look on his face made it clear that he was surprised how easy the transformation actually was.

"Good boy. Now you can sleep."


	3. Chapter 3

It caused quite the commotion when Lady Crystala came into view of her caravan, carrying what looked like a sleeping mermaid in her arms.

The caravan was settled down for the night on the outskirts of the capital city Stella. The sun had just set, but there was still a bit of a late evening glow for the men and woman of the caravan to make out their master and head approaching them.

It was not unusual for Lady Crystala to disappear into a city and reappear carrying a wounded child – whether a normal human slave, a +anima, or just an orphan who had not yet been caught by slavers. But this was _not_ the norm when she made a point of visiting her complicated family at the palace. It was also out of the norm for her to return the same day, as she usually stayed for at least a week, visiting with various people in the city and palace.

One of the men in charge of the trading rushed over to Crystala to ask what was going on, though his eyes kept glancing towards the beautiful child in her arms. A child that looked remarkably familiar, now that he thought of it.

A second before he opened his mouth, it hit him, and he couldn't do anything but gasp.

"Th-the silver princess?" he choked. Crystala gave him a dark glare and ignored him, which he wisely understood as a silent "shut your mouth."

Crystala frowned as she continued to walk quickly towards one of the larger carts.

"I need a head scarf!" she called out to one of the women sorting the laundry. The woman casually tossed one to their leader, who quickly tied it around her nephew's head. While it didn't completely hide the silver hair, it made the coloring – and its similarity to the Silver Princess Marein in the Hall of Flowers – much less obvious.

"You got another one, Crystala?" asked the woman cheerfully, nodding towards the slumbering child. "What's her story?"

"His," murmured Crystala sadly. "And the usual."

"Bad family?"

Crystala had to force herself _not_ to flinch, considering that this was _her _family. Marein's tear-streaked face as she ran past her in the hall flickered through her mind. Her brother's tense shoulders, and borderline begging.

An adorable little silver-haired boy clinging to her and whimpering that one of his step-mothers had tried to kill him.

"Yeah," she agreed softly, patting Myrrha's head gently. The boy roused, blinking open his eyes sleepily.

For a second he looked confused as he stared up at his Aunty's face, then he glanced down at himself and Crystala half-expected him to start crying again. Turns out she was underestimating her nephew, as his eyes hardened and he shifted back and pushed gently at her arms, signaling he wanted down.

Crystala leaned down to let the small child stand on his own two feet, though she kept a firm grip on his clammy hand. He stood close as he looked a little anxiously around the caravan. The carts and tents, the dozens of people, looking so very different from what he was used to. No elaborate gowns or silks or multilayered robes and tunics – just simple, practical clothing. Strong enough to endure hard labor, nice enough to do business with merchants and lesser nobles. Everyone wore much the same thing, except Crystala and a handful of the adults who kept to themselves on the outskirts.

His aunt gently tugged on his hand, then moved on once she was sure he was paying attention again.

As Crystala made her way through her encamped caravan, her eyes fell on a certain grey-haired child. She smiled despite herself, thinking how far the Kim-un-Ker +anima Senri had come since she'd bought him three months ago. Once they'd leaned to handle the boy's mental disability, he was in high demand for his raw strength and talent for cooking. She just wished she knew what was going on in that boy's mind. Well, at the least, he didn't seem unhappy.

She hesitated for a second, and Myrrha, still sleepy, stumbled before catching himself. He looked up at her in blurry-eyed confusion.

Her nephew, who would need protection, even more than the usual pretty child. She'd arranged a partner and team relationship for the younger slaves, as she'd explained to Myrrha earlier. A partner to stand at his side, a team to watch his back.

The only child not partnered was Senri.

Surely that was alright. She'd known from when she'd told Myrrha, had no doubts that Senri would watch over the much younger child with his usual quiet intensity.

Now, as she stood there, mouth open to call Senri over, watching the boy add seasonings to a stew… Senri looked up in confusion as one of the women in charge of cooking asked him something. He obviously didn't know the answer to the question… or even who the woman was.

Crystala had vowed to care for that boy… but could she really trust him to care for someone else? Someone five years younger, with no real life experience? Someone who was _bound_ to be targeted by all sorts of nobles enticed with Marein's beauty, those with grudges against the royal family, slavers and merchants to whom prettiness equaled money, and the more despicable monsters that preyed on +anima and slaves, especially children.

Could she trust Senri with something so weighty? But to _not_ would signal to all in the caravan that Myrrha was special, maybe even worse, that it was okay to mistreat Senri for his problems.

Myrrha was drooping again, too tired for even his curiosity about the caravan to keep him awake. He leaned against Crystala, who glanced back and forth between the two. The mentally disabled Senri, strong but slow, and her brilliant and beautiful, but small and very delicate, nephew. The contrast was glaring.

She would have to play it by ear. Give it a trial run while keeping a close eye on the two. At the very least, she knew with a certainty that gentle Senri would never _deliberately_ injure Myrrha.

Lady Crystala watched until it looked like Senri was done with the stew, then walked over with a half-asleep Myrrha. She set a hand on Senri's shoulder.

The Kim-un-Ker boy looked up at her in confusion. After a minute of staring at her face, his eyes dropped to stare at the flower on her breastplate and his eyes lit up in recognition.

"Come with me, Senri," she instructed, turning and heading for her own cart.

Senri, wordlessly and obediently, followed her through the encampment.

To Crystala's surprise, a sleepy Myrrha turned his head to look at Senri with curiosity while they were walking. The sharpness in his gaze, even dazed with remnants of shock and overwhelming weariness, was surprising in such a small child.

"Your name is Senri?" he asked politely to the boy walking on the other side of his aunt.

Senri nodded.

"My name is Husky. Nice to meet you," said the small boy.

Crystala had no idea where the nickname had come from, but was somewhat relieved that Myrrha had not decided to go by his real name. Honestly, she hadn't yet thought of what to do about that herself.

To her surprise, Senri actually reacted with something other than a stare or a blink. He smiled at the small boy. "Husky," he repeated, almost fondly.

Myrrha nodded, and by then they were at his aunt's cart. She helped him up before climbing in herself. Senri easily climbed up after her.

One of Crystala's caravan members had already set up her bedding and blankets for her bed that night. It wasn't rare for Crystala to let the younger slaves cling to her for comfort, so she felt no qualms about gently giving her nephew a push toward the makeshift bed.

He clumsily lowered himself and finally laid down. To Crystala surprise, his eyes were watching Senri with a strange intensity, then they flicked back to her face as she tucked the blankets around him.

"Senri is my partner?" he asked softly.

She nodded.

Myrrha smiled softly and yawned. "That's okay then," he whispered, snuggling into the blankets and transforming back to his +anima form without needing to be told.

Would her nephew never cease to amaze her? Yes, she prided herself on her judgment of others' character, but she'd never thought her nephew would carry the same trait at such a young age. Perhaps he was simply too tired to worry about who his partner was? Or maybe Senri's size just made him feel safe?

Myrrha was breathing softly and steadily within a minute, already asleep.

Crystala looked up to see Senri already staring at the young child in fascination. Now that she thought about it, none of the other children were quite as young as Myrrha.

"Small," whispered Senri in surprise, glancing up at Crystala for an explanation.

"He's quite a bit younger than you, Senri. Children are born very tiny and delicate, but they get bigger as they get older."

"Delicate," repeated Senri thoughtfully, leaning forward to examine the child more carefully.

Seeing his curiosity, Crystala gently reached down and unwound the head scarf from Myrrha's head. It wouldn't do if her nephew's partner didn't recognize him without it.

Senri's eyes fell on the bruises around Myrrha's neck and his eyes widened, flashing up to Crystala again.

Crystala sighed and leaned over to stroke her nephew's silky silver hair. "He just turned into a +anima today."

"Bad day," acknowledged Senri, nodding to show he understood.

Crystala watched as Senri sat down next to the sleeping child, still watching him carefully, with a dedication she'd honestly never seen before in the boy.

Feeling a little better about the situation, though still not fully 100%, Crystala asked a question.

"Senri, can you watch over him?"

To Crystala's surprise, the usually blank-looking boy looked up at her with a bright smile.

"Yes," he said simply, settling back to watch the younger child.

Crystala smiled back and took her leave from the cart. She had to explain the situation to a few of her most trusted comrades in the caravan, and somehow that simple yes from Senri had dispelled all her doubts.

…

"Marein's son?" hissed one of Crystala's most trusted travel companions, a large, dark-haired man named Dimitri. He was a trader and was in charge of their fabrics, including clothing. "Do you know how much danger you've exposed the caravan to, bringing someone like that with us?"

"And putting him with _Senri_, of all people!" exclaimed another, a beautiful red-haired woman named Nefsi, their healer. "The boy is a good child, I know, but to trust him with something so dangerous! What if he forgets the child somewhere?"

"I have made my decision," said Crystala sharply. "I know it is not an ideal one, but I…" Her eyes glanced away for a second. "I do apologize for the situation, but please. Myrrha is a very good child. He doesn't deserve to be sold as a pet."

Dimitri ran his fingers through his dark hair, looking stressed. "Look, what if we can find him a good owner? Yes, your nephew's beauty will be the selling point, but there are owners out there who won't abuse their servants. What about that one painter? His servants live in absolute luxury, and all he demands is they let him draw them. He doesn't even demand any particular poses!"

"No," said Crystala firmly, knowing exactly who he was talking about. "He is a good man, but his security is far too lax."

"And _ours_ isn't?" demanded Nefsi.

"If we keep this between us, no one will know I have Myrrha. He will wear a head scarf and go by a different name. Senri will be by his side, and we'll put them in group three."

"Group three…" thought Dimitri aloud. "That would be… Nigel and Kazana, and Iris and Daisy? Those horrid little brats?"

Crystala nodded. "Brats they may be, but fiercely loyal. Once they accept Myrrha and Senri in their group, they won't let anyone so much as look at them wrongly. Plus those four are also +anima. They shouldn't be jealous of Senri and Myrrha's abilities."

Nefsi frowned, but nodded. "And where will he work? We cannot spoil the boy, especially since he is obviously noble, even if one does not know of his royal heritage. I refuse to allow favoritism in the caravan!"

"Absolutely," agreed Crystala. "I have no intention of favoring Myrrha at all. That would only cause problems. He will address me the same as others, and he has already chosen the name Husky for himself. As for where he will work, we will decide that the same way we do with every other child. We shall find what he is good at."

She kept to herself that she already knew what Myrrha was good at. Saying the boy was a strong staff fighter, brilliant at mathematics, and with a good eye for quality and worth would not help her nephew turned +anima slave at all. She knew very well that +anima were laborers.

"I refuse to allow him to handle any money or jewelry," declared Dimitri firmly, still watching Crystala, wary of any special treatment. "We never allow young +anima to handle gald or anything that could be quickly sold."

"I will not force you to make an exception," replied Crystala, forcing herself to stay humble about this. It was only natural for her friends to question this whole situation. She was wary of it herself. "And I will not step in unless I see any signs of abuse to the child, as I would with any of our children."

"A fish +anima," grumbled Nefsi. "Practically worthless around here. We'll set him to work fishing when we get near the coast, but for now he'll have to help Senri with cooking and labor."

Crystala nodded in acquiescence.

Dimitri turned to her, looking worried. "When can we expect to be targeted by slavers after the boy?" He said it as if the situation was inevitable.

Which Crystala internally admitted it probably was. But refused to say as much.

"With any luck, and if we can keep everyone's noses in their own business, never. But the announcement is tomorrow morning. And his transformation was witnessed by servants and guards as well as his family."

"The rumors have undoubtedly already spread, then."

"We'd best leave tonight and travel straight through to Matek," concluded Crystala.

Her advisors nodded. They dispersed to ready the caravan for travel.

…

Senri watched in concern as the exhausted child slept on, without moving or twitching in the least. It must have been a very bad day indeed. Senri couldn't really remember his own transformation, or anything really except bits and pieces, but he did know that +anima transformations were linked with bad things, like almost dying.

Minutes passed into an hour, and slowly the child started tossing and turning in the beginnings of a nightmare. The Kim-un-Ker boy set a hand on the small boy's head to try calm him, sort of like how he'd seen Lady Crystala do before. The boy immediately settled down, his features again relaxing.

"Husky," whispered Senri to himself, determined not to forget it. He'd whispered the name every minute or so, trying to ingrain it deep within himself. This child, Husky, was important. He was to watch over Husky.

Senri knew what that meant. He'd seen all the other children and teenagers with their partners and groups, though he'd always been excluded. The others might not mean any harm, but they weren't comfortable around someone that couldn't remember who they were.

But a partner would stick with him. Wouldn't run off to play with the others and leave him alone with nothing to do. He'd seen it in Husky's face. He knew the much smaller boy would stick with him, though he didn't know why he believed such a thing.

Husky would stick with him. He trusted that.

And he would protect Husky. He swore that to himself.

They would be partners. And he would never be alone again.

"Husky," he whispered again, with even more firm determination. Staring at the boy as he tried his best to deeply etch the boy's appearance into his scattered and broken mind and connect it with the name.

…

_Author's Notes:_

_Hope you all enjoyed, and please review to let me know your favorite parts and what you'd like to see in future chapters! I'm probably going to have at least a few more chapters focusing on Senri and Husky, then I'm planning to introduce a quite different Nana from our original manga, though Cooro will be much the same when he enters the story. Let me know if you have any questions or comments, and thank you for reading!_


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